Right Beside You

Just give me a second, a little more time,
You've always been there in the back of my mind.
I've missed you forever; since the moment you left,
I never imagined what a short time we'd get.
Time's stolen away all my bright memories,
But some are as clear as if they're burned into me;
Rolling along in that red caravan,
Singing along to the songs we can't stand.
You spoiled me sweet, that's all I can say,
And I loved you more than all that you gave.
Though I never got to tell you, you meant more than you know,
I always knew you'd be there and I'd have a place to go.
You might be far away, but I feel you here close by,
You're always in my heart even though it's deep inside.
You might think that you've faded, but your face is crystal clear,
I remember you so well it's like your sitting with me here.
But when I'm feeling lost and you feel so far away,
The tears roll down my face, and I beg for yesterday.
I close my eyes, and hear your voice, singing out of tune,
What you say I'll hear forever, "I'm right beside of you."
So when I look up at the sky, and whisper words of prayer,
I know the Lord is listening, and that you’re waiting with him there,
Someday we will meet again, I always will believe,
That even when you're far away, you're right beside of me.

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Editor’s Note

The number one question our editors receive is—what do the editors and judges look for when judging the contest? The number one answer we give is creativity. Unlike prose, writing composed in everyday language, poetry is considered a creative art and requires a different type of effort and a certain level of depth. Of the thousands of poems entered in each contest, the ones that catch our judges’ eyes are the ones that remove us, even just slightly, from the scope of everyday life by using language that is interesting, specific, vivid, obscure, compelling, figurative, and so on. Oftentimes, poems are pulled aside for a second look based simply on certain words that intrigued the reader. So first and foremost, be sure your poetry is written using creative language. Take general ideas and make them personal. In his infamous book De/Compositions: 101 Good Poems Gone Wrong, W. D. Snodgrass imparts, “We cannot honestly discuss or represent our lives, any more than our poems, without using ideational language.”